Links
by xxLittleChangeoftheHeart
Summary: (Updated Title) A collection of short stories about various characters. Chapter Three: A group celebration is overshadowed.
1. Beyond that Door

They had saved the world.

Maybe not everyone knew that, but they had. After all they had been through, it was so hard for Garnet to come to grips with the fact that she was back to living a normal life. Of course, "normal," in her life, meant that she was the queen of Alexandria. Ruling a country should have been extraordinary.

She awoke to the sun rising outside of the long windows of her bedroom. She rolled over and buried her head beneath a pillow, but the light was too bright for her to fall back asleep. Those windows were too damn big. She threw her pillow aside and sat up, glaring out the window from her bed. She hated the beautiful day outside. It was sunny and warm, birds were singing, but the last thing she wanted was to be a part of it. She wanted to crawl under her covers and be alone, but soon enough, she knew she would hear Beatrix knocking on her door, readying her for the day.

It was always the same, day after day, and her life felt tedious. Her friends were long gone. At first, she saw them decently often. Over the next few months, however, she saw them less and less. As time passed, it was a constant decline. Eiko was busy becoming a grown-up noblewoman in Lindblum. Freya was rebuilding her home. Vivi was off adventuring the world, treasuring what life he had to live. They were all somewhere else, living incredible lives, and Garnet felt resigned to her life in comparison.

 _It would be different if he were still here. Life would be exciting. Life would be a constant adventure._

Zidane had made even the most mundane things seem fascinating. She remembered all the times he told her stories; in Dali, when he told her the story of the chase in Treno, in Black Mage Village, that beautiful summer night, when he told her that story about the man searching for his home… No one could tell them quite like him. It was that childlike energy, that charisma that Garnet had never seen across the world that they had traveled together, and certainly not in any nobility she ever met before and since then. It was also the way he was so caring, and never gave up on anyone. Over the course of their journey, she had watched him grow from a flirtatious, directionless teen into a real man as he watched her grow from a frustrated, naïve young princess into a worldly queen. They had grown together, and it meant so much.

The loneliness came and went. She would feel okay for a while, but then something would remind her of Zidane, or her friends, or their adventures that seemed carefree in hindsight, and she would be lost again for some time. It was an endless cycle, and unfortunately, she was in the middle of a depression.

She began to feel a little better as the following week began. She was anticipating seeing her friends, hopefully all of them, as well as the members of the Tantalus when they came to Alexandria on the Theater Ship to perform for her kingdom and her people. She remembered how she couldn't help but smile when Baku had pitched the idea to her a while back. She had asked him, "No ulterior motives this time?"

The day of the performance, she was feeling a lot better, but there was still a heavy feeling in her heart. She had dressed in her ornate white gown and gone out to her throne early, before the theater ship arrived and before any townspeople were allowed in to the courtyard. She leaned onto the edge of the stone wall in front of her throne and looked out at her kingdom, straining to see if she could yet spot the Theater ship. She remembered so many things happening on this balcony, from watching her father give speeches years ago, to her mother firing cannons at the Theater ship as she fled the castle, to Bahamut staring her down as he breathed fire on her city. Today, she would add another memory- seeing her favorite play again, this time while relaxing and looking forward to meeting her friends after instead of planning her escape of the country. She straightened up, brushing off her elbows, as she heard Beatrix and Steiner come out onto the balcony. She knew the Theater ship must be arriving soon.

 _I can't wait to see everyone_. She thought. _But… it'll never be the same._ She hadn't allowed herself to speak it aloud, but all she thought now was, _I want to be young and free again_. She shook her head, trying to tell herself, _I have to let go of the past. I have to move on, just like he taught me…_ She was sure she was going to cry, before she heard Steiner call, "That airship looks as rickety as ever!" Her heard snapped up, and she saw the brown ship blowing in the wind, approaching the castle.

She watched them unload and arrange their sets. She could see so many familiar faces from a distance. She saw good ol' Cinna, lighthearted Ruby, disgruntled Blank, and of course, the ever obnoxious Baku. A few of them waved up to her when they saw her watching. She waved back, wishing Zidane was on that stage, too.

Hours passed and townspeople filtered in as the night fell. "I Want to be Your Canary" was underway. Garnet was trying so hard to enjoy it, but her mind kept interrupting her, saying,

 _I wish I was sixteen again. I want to be here, with mother, watching Zidane on that stage. I want to have everything ahead of me- all of that adventure, love, and heartache._ The scene where Cornelia is kidnapped was now unfolding. She saw all of her friends in the crowd as she examined it, trying to quiet her mind. Even Amarant had made the trip; she was truly surprised. She could not wait to hug Eiko, who suddenly looked so grown up, and to have some of Quina's cooking, which was much less rich than the castle food, but somehow tasted so much better. She was sure that Steiner would make comments about her being out and about with "commoners," but when all was said and done, she knew he would accompany them wherever they went, and before long would be enjoying their company just as much as Garnet herself. Garnet returned her attention to the stage. Marcus, hooded, was alone, despairing over the whereabouts of his love Cornelia. They were supposed to be running away together. Marcus's voice shook as he wondered about her betrayal, deciding it could not be true. He began his prayer to the twin moons,

"I Beseech thee, wondrous moonlight, grant me my only wish!" He spun around, yanking off his hooded robe, and called, "Bring my beloved Dagger to me!"

For a split second, Garnet thought she was dreaming, because that wasn't part of the play. Also, certainly, seeing the man she loved standing there, smiling at her, after all this time, was not part of the play, either. She was standing before she even realized that she was.

 _Zidane._


	2. On an Evening in Lindblum

The wind blew through her newly short hair as she bounced along on Choco's back. Her arms were wrapped around Zidane's stomach, but she was looking around. She had never travelled by chocobo before. When he had come to find her in Alexandria, somehow she hadn't imagined going back to Lindblum like this. At first, she had been unsure, and suggested they take a small boat or airship from Alexandira. Zidane insisted that she go and see the chocobo. When she had approached the large, red bird, it looked at her with intelligent and compassionate eyes. It dipped its head to allow for her to pet it.

"I think it likes me." Dagger had said.

Zidane nodded. "His name is Choco."

After that, they were off. Riding on Choco's back was a lot faster than walking, and it was yet another new experience that she had with Zidane. She saw the Mist Continent in a whole new way, leaving her kingdom and trekking across mountains. She watched the monsters pay no attention to them as they rushed by them. At a walking speed, surely they would have had to stop for many battles.

As the day wore on, and the sun began to set, the temperature began to fall. It certainly was cold going over the mountains, Dagger thought. She was glad that soon they would be descending down to Lindblum. She wrapped her arms tighter around Zidane and laid her cheek against his back. He turned his head to look at her.

"Are you cold, Dagger? Should we stop and make a camp for the night? We could make a fire."

She shook her head against his back. "No, let's keep going. We are almost there."

He grinned back at her. "Don't feel safe camping out alone with me?"

She glared and pursed her lips, but did not remove her cheek from the warmth of his back. " _No._ I'd kick your butt if you tried anything." She felt his body shake as he laughed, and she couldn't help but smile. Ahead, she saw the edge of the mountain range, and the valley that would take them to the Lindblum Dragon's Gate. They pushed on, and after some time, Zidane called back to her, "Well, if you won't go camping with me, then how about we do something else tonight. You know, to celebrate."

"What did you have in mind?" Dagger asked, suspicious.

"Just say yes." Zidane called back. She sighed, and said, "Alrighty."

By the time they reached the Dragon's Gate, Choco was exhausted, and Dagger was freezing. Zidane looked at her apologetically. "Sorry, I wish I had something with long sleeves to give you, but…" He trailed off, holding up his bare arms. "Let me say goodbye to Choco."

"I want to, too." She said, and followed him. Choco was inching towards the small forest in the distance.

"Thanks, buddy." Zidane said, feeding him a gysahl green. "Go get some rest!"

"Thank you, Choco, we couldn't have made it without you." Dagger said earnestly. The creature nuzzled them both, and turned to run towards the forest.

"Now, let's get you warmed up." Zidane said, placing a hand on her back. She drew closer to him, wondering what in the world he was up to this time.

30 minutes later, Zidane had somehow 'acquired' a lovely hooded robe similar to her old white and orange one. She was fairly sure he had stolen it, but she was grateful for the warmth as they trudged through the streets of Lindblum. It was a chilly night here, too, downtown in the mountainous city. At first, Dagger had no idea where they were going. They were in a part of the city that was still somewhat unrepaired after the late Queen Brahne's attack. Dagger felt uneasy as they walked through the alley, which probably looked just as dark and scary when it was actually in good shape. As they walked, Dagger saw a warm glow from a damaged building up ahead, and the sound of voices began to reach her. She saw shadows moving in the light. She began to relax.

"Here we are," Zidane said as they reached the building, a damaged pub that still seemed pretty busy despite the fact that Dagger was fairly sure that one good push would knock the whole building down. He beamed at her. "I hope you're as hungry as I am. Pops makes some food that is out of this world."

Dagger couldn't help but smile back at him, happy as ever. "I certainly am." She said. "They won't miss us at the castle, will they?"

"Nah." He replied, taking her hand. "Tonight, don't worry about any of that!"

They entered the pub, which was pleasantly warm inside. It was small and crowded when they pushed in towards the bar. Dagger was surprised when Zidane didn't sit, but instead waved to the bartender, an older man with a graying mustache. He leaned over the bar and exchanged a few words. The bartender looked back at Dagger, who was watching with a puzzled expression. He nodded, and a moment later he had escaped from behind the bar and pushed through the crowd to Zidane and Dagger.

"Welcome!" The man said, reaching to shake Dagger's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you. Zidane has told me a lot about you. Well, mostly how many times he's screwed up trying to impress you."

Dagger grinned at his friendliness and humor, while Zidane rolled his eyes and sighed. "It's nice to meet you, too, Sir. Are you the owner?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Around here they call me Pops."

"You can call me Dagger." She replied.

"Let me take you to your table, Miss Dagger. If it was just Zidane, I'd tell him to get one himself."

"Yeah, yeah, keep talking." Zidane huffed. His expression, however, was good-natured. Dagger had a feeling they were great friends.

Pops brought them to a table near the back. Zidane pulled out the chair for Dagger. "Why, Zidane, what manners." She teased, and he simply smiled in response. A waitress came by, and Dagger asked Zidane to pick something out for her, not only because she wasn't really sure about the menu, but also because she wanted to know what his favorites were. She was sure that he had brought her here for a reason.

For a long time, Zidane had wanted to bring her here, to this pub. The one where he'd reunited with Freya, hit on waitresses with stupid lines, and spent more lonely nights than he could count in the time before he had kidnapped Dagger. He loved the people, and the rowdy bar fights, and the amazing, but minimalistic food. He loved the good conversation, too, but never had he had as good of conversation as he was already having here, tonight, with Dagger. The Queen sat across from him now, looking terribly unlike a queen and devastatingly beautiful with her short, wind-tossed, caramel hair, dirt splotches on her orange jumpsuit, and a stolen hooded robe hanging on the back of her seat. She was looking at him with those liquid chocolate eyes that made him melt with every word that left her perfect lips. He didn't realize he had been so distracted until she cleared her throat and started to smirk a bit.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I was too busy admiring this woman who is lighting up the whole bar. Everyone is staring at her." Dagger rolled her eyes but her smirk remained. "Oh, yes, I'm sure." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I asked you why you came to get me in Alexandria."

"We were having a meeting." Zidane replied. He straightened as he remember the details that had slipped his mind in the long day. "Long story short, Hilda says that Kuja is not from this world and we have to go to some dude's castle to break the seal to go to another world."

Dagger stared at him. Zidane knew what he was saying sounded awfully ridiculous. "So… Kuja is…"

"An alien." Zidane nodded, very seriously, and Dagger kicked him under the table. He flinched, but grinned widely.

"Stop it," Dagger growled, trying not to smile back. "Are you making this all up?"

"I appreciate that you give me that amount of credit for my creativity." He replied. She pursed her lips at him. He tried to keep his mind on the subject, and off of her lips.

Just then, the waitress brought their drinks. Zidane had ordered that, too, and he wasn't sure how she was going to take low-class alcoholic beverages. She reached for it, and he almost warned her, but she took a sip, swallowed it, and contemplated for a moment before she said, "This isn't bad. What is this?"

Zidane exhaled and he hadn't even realized he had been holding his breath. He had known that Dagger wouldn't judge this place, the people, the drinks, or the food. He had known that, but somehow, he realized he had been waiting for her to judge anything, and therefore, judge him. He frowned, wondering why that was crossing his mind now, after all this time. But of course, she hadn't judged any of it, or him. It was Dagger.

"It's mead. Pops makes it himself. It's made with honey."

"Oh," Dagger said, taking another sip. "No wonder it's so good. Did you get the same thing?"

"It's my favorite." Zidane replied. He held his glass up to hers. "To good company."

"To good company." She replied, clinking her glass against his.

By the time dinner arrived, Zidane was no longer worried about Dagger feeling uncomfortable. She looked completely at home, sipping on her mead surrounded by a boisterous crowd. She scarfed down dinner like she had never eaten in her life. Zidane was hungry, too, but he found himself eating slower, fascinated by watching her inhale her meal. She looked up at him at one point and narrowed her eyes. " _What_?" She asked. "I'm hungry, and I think this is the best food I've eaten in my life!"

"You'll have to tell that to Pops." He said, and when she did, the old man was very pleased.

"It isn't every day that a queen eats in my pub," He had leaned close to the table and said. "And it's even more infrequent that they are so satisfied."

"Infrequent? You mean never?" Zidane quipped, and Pops glared at him and yelled, "But then there's Zidane, always telling me that my food tastes like the carcass of a rotting Zaghnol!" He stalked off back behind the bar, and both Zidane and Dagger laughed as he retreated.

Dagger's stomach was quite full, and she was feeling content and happy after spending the evening with the light conversation that went hand-in-hand with being with Zidane. She figured that they would soon be heading back to the castle to rest. After all, it had been a very long day. Zidane had crossed the continent twice. Weirdly enough, he still didn't look very tired to her. As the waitress removed their plates, Dagger saw a ragtag group come in the door toting instruments. They exchanged words with Pops, who cleared an area by yelling at a few rowdy customers. They scattered closer to the bar, where they resumed their banter, clearly unfazed by Pops' yelling and quite used to it.

The band started playing a jaunty tune that sounded vaguely familiar to Dagger. Zidane grinned when he heard it. He stood up, and held out his hand. "Wanna dance?" He asked her.

She looked around, back at his hand, and then at him. "Are you crazy?" She asked. "No one is dancing."

"They will be when they see how we dance."

"Do you know how to dance?" She asked, placing her hand hesitantly in his.

"I'm full of surprises," He replied, leading her to the front of the pub. She couldn't stop smiling as he pulled her close in front of the band and placed a hand on her waist. He began to move them, and she was really surprised at the way he could dance. She, being raised as a princess, knew how to dance, but this was a much faster and much looser dance than she was used to. She let Zidane ease her into it, and before she knew it, she was moving right along with him. The boisterous crowd began to laugh and cheer and gather around. Groups of other dancers appeared, and the band played song after song that kept them dancing. They began to pass along their partners, and Dagger danced with rough, tough men with awkward moves. She was laughing and clapping along with them, and she had completely forgotten her fatigue. She caught Zidane's eye across the pub as he swung his partner, a girl who, at the moment, looked a lot less rough and dirt-covered than Dagger. He grinned at Dagger and returned his attention to his partner, and Dagger did the same.

She felt like they were dancing for hours when she was finally swung back into Zidane's arms. They beamed into each other's eyes, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. They finished that dance, themselves and everyone around them getting sloppy and tired. The band started up another song, this time much slower. A lot of the dancers began to clear from the floor, but Zidane pulled Dagger a little closer. She put her head against his chest. It felt perfect there, and she closed her eyes and realized how much her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Zidane put his chin on her head and held her, swaying to the music, until the very last note.

Dagger was a bit unsteady on her feet as she and Zidane made their way through the dark, cold streets on their way to the castle. She was completely exhausted, but she was happier than she had been in a long night. She had forgotten every fear, every worry that had plagued her since before her mother's death. She pulled her coat tight around her, but she hardly felt the cold. She wasn't sure if it was the mead, or the warmth that had not left her since Zidane had held her so close. She reached for his hand now, and he took it with a big goofy smile on his face. His tail was swinging happily.

She quietly, contentedly, listened to his stories on the way home. He was never at a loss for ways to fill the silence, and Dagger appreciated that after so much silence in her life. He told her all about when he ran into Freya at that very pub right before the Festival of the Hunt. He told her about how he had met Freya in his past. He also told her about how Pops had been there for him, despite his caustic exterior, throughout some of his worst days. He tightened his grip on Dagger's hand as he said this. She watched his face as he talked, but he looked forward.

"It sounds like that would be lonely." Dagger said when he told her about the nights when he had left Tantalus, for some reason or another, and was lost in the city he knew so well. When he wandered in and stayed in the pub long after it had technically closed, only to have nowhere to go when he left.

"It was." He replied. "But I think now, I have a new place to call home."

"Where's that?" Dagger asked.

He smiled up at the sky. "It's always somewhere nearby, even when it isn't," was all that he said. When they arrived at the castle gates, the guards were rather suspicious at first, based on Dagger's short hair and disheveled appearance.

"You don't look like royalty." One guard said, and Zidane snapped, "You'd think, that with wars going on, they'd be used to royalty looking like a refugee." The guards checked her falcon claw, and recognized Zidane, so they let them pass. After all, they had all been instructed to give special treatment to the whole crew. The two walked slowly through the carpeted castle halls. Zidane took her hand again, and Dagger was too tired to care about the guards and their talk. When they reached the guest bedroom where they, as well as Steiner and the rest of the crew were staying, they stopped outside.

"Zidane, thank you for coming to get me." Dagger said. "I always know that I can count on you."

He reached and tucked a strand of her short hair behind her ear, and her heart beat faster. His hand lingered by her cheek, and she looked up into his eyes that were the color of the ocean.

"I'm the one that counts on you." He replied. His hand dropped, and he took her hand. He held it up and closed his eyes as he tenderly kissed her hand. His eyes burned when he opened them to look back into hers, but he dropped her hand motioned for her to go ahead of him into the room.

"Everyone's probably asleep." He said. She nodded, and tiptoed into the room. It was dark, and she was careful not to step on anyone who might be sleeping on the floor as she climbed the steps to her part of the room. She hesitated on the stairs. "Goodnight, Zidane." She whispered into the darkness.

"Goodnight."


	3. Goodbye, and Nice to Meet You

**Author's Note:** I messed with timing of events a bit. Also, I've always cast Quina as a girl. It's rather irrelevant.

* * *

The sound of the harp wove between the beat of the raindrops as they hit the drooping tent. Despite its large size, there was not nearly enough room for the group dancing and laughing beneath it. At the tables, the King of Burmecia shook his head and talked politics with a boisterous Regent Cid, who had clearly had too much to drink already. Groups of Burmecian soldiers, Cleyran refugees, and others with a tie to Freya danced under the tent, dangerously close to wobbly tables with glasses of wine to be spilled. Others crowded the tables to avoid the rain, but mostly, Freya saw the people she loved gleefully dancing in the rain around the tent. Queen Garnet was in the arms of King Zidane, who was twirling her surprisingly elegantly. Eiko, looking much more grown up than the last time Freya had seen her, was charming the young Burmecian boys, who were all fussing around her while she danced. Steiner even appeared to be enjoying himself, for once out of his armor and looking presentable, doing a slightly uptight dance with Beatrix.

Freya was watching them all, her heart aglow, when she felt a soft touch on her back. "Freya? Have you had enough to eat?"

She smiled up at Fratley. "Of course. I was surprised to get so much time to myself, but the music is so superb that everyone seems to be occupied."

"Shall we rejoin the party?" He asked, extending a clawed hand. Freya took his hand and followed him towards her friends.

"Freya! Dragon Knight of the hour. Done stuffing your face?" Zidane joked as she approached.

Freya smirked. "Just keep pretending you know how to dance, Monkey-tail." She replied. She signaled the harpist, who nodded and transitioned to a different song. "Let us show you how it is done."

She took Fratley's raised hand and began to do a traditional Burmecian dance, which he immediately fell into. Despite his lack of memory, Fratley was skilled at the dances of their people. She supposed it was muscle memory, and if that was what caused him to grow to love her again too, then she was fine with that for sure. They couldn't stop smiling the whole night, being rowdy in the rain with their favorite people on Gaia. It turned out that a wedding was a welcome distraction.

Freya and Fratley had planned it decently far enough ahead to be sure that the invitations would reach all the corners of the Mist Continent with time to spare. They wanted to be sure that everyone they loved would be there- especially Freya's guests, who were coming from Alexandria, Lindblum, and various other places. She knew, too, that some guests would be hard to track down, such as the illusive Amarant. She was fairly sure he received the invitation, but he did not make it to the wedding. She was rather surprised, but fortunately, the rest of her friends all made the long journey to see her.

That is, all of her friends except for the one that was blatantly missing that night. His absence was felt by all- not only just his team, his best friends, but all of the people who knew his story or had met him along the way. Whether they received him with fear, or malice, or indifference, many people of many different races had come to admire him over time. They grew to accept him and understand him. He had worked so hard for that.

Somehow, news hadn't reached Freya herself very quickly. It wasn't long before the wedding at all that she received mail from an apprehensive moogle. "You might want to sit down, Kupo." He had told her. Clearly, he knew him, too. Him. Vivi.

Freya had read the letter quickly, but she did not move after. She stared at it, watching the letters blur on the paper. She was not sure if it was the rain from the sky or the puddles forming in her eyes.

"Freya?" Fratley asked. She heard his footsteps approaching. "What is the matter?" She did not turn around.

"Kupo… it's bad news." The moogle said, looking awkward and upset.

"Perhaps you should go inside, out of the rain?" Fratley said to the moogle, motioning behind him to his home. "I'm sure it was a long journey to deliver. You should rest tonight."

The moogle nodded slowly, looking conflicted. Before he left, he set his hand on Freya's leg. She moved her head ever so slightly to peer down at him.

"He lived a life that touched so many, Kupo. He won't be forgotten." With that, he retreated to Fratley's hut.

"What is it?" Fratley tried again. He peered over her shoulder a bit at the letter, trying to see who it was from.

"It's Vivi," Freya had said. Her voice had sounded so strange, so forced. She felt like she was choking. "He's dead."

Fratley looked alarmed and put his arm around her. "Dead? But he was so young! What happened?"

"Young by our standards, but not by his. A black mage only lives so long. He actually lived a long life…" She trailed off. Suddenly, a twisted smile appeared on her distressed face. "How cruel! For what he had to be considered a long life. For him to have lost everything- his grandfather, his friends, to have seen so much death and so much destruction, only to have everything end so abruptly! How can that be called a long life? How is that fair?"

Fratley watched her carefully. "I did not know Vivi terribly well," He had admitted. "When I met him, his eyes were sad and confused. But," He reached his hand to sweep Freya's hair from her overflowing eyes, "I think that he lived a full life, because that is not who he was when we saw him last."

"No?"

"No. He was happy. Think about it. Yes, he was hurt a lot in his young life, but he was also an inspiration to many others. He helped the Black Mages and everyone to understand each other. He made sure that Kuja's army did not leave a legacy of division and hatred in our world. And-" Fratley broke into a grin, "- Do you remember seeing him with his children when Zidane returned? If he had been complete before, he was beyond bliss then."

It was a wonderful image. Freya smiled through her tears, picturing it.

She thought of that moment at the wedding, however fleetingly, when she saw Vivi's children. She was surprised that they had made it, or that they had even wanted to come; they did not know their Auntie Freya very well. Or so she thought.

"I am glad you all made it. I appreciate you coming." Freya said to them later that evening.

"We wouldn't miss it, Auntie Freya." One of them said, their yellow eyes shining. It reminded Freya of the happy light in Vivi's eyes.

"Dad would be here too." Another said.

Another shook his head. "You're wrong. He _is_ here."

That's how they all felt that night, Freya realized later. The kids had gone to bed, the crowds dispersed, and the former adventuring teammates huddled around a candlelit table.

"It's still raining, of course." Zidane complained.

"It's Burmecia." Freya replied dryly.

"Pass me some snacks." Eiko demanded, peeling off her shoes and tossing them to the wet ground. She tucked her feet below her.

"I thought that we tucked the children into bed." Steiner commented, looking away hastily when Eiko narrowed her eyes in his direction.

"For your information, I'm not a _child_."

"You are definitely no more of a lady then before." Steiner looked at her out of the corner of his eye. Right before Eiko protested, Freya said, "Steiner, are you making a joke? _You?_ How times have changed."

The group laughed, and Eiko threw one of her shoes at Steiner and grinned. "Ask all those Burmecian boys who kept trying to dance with me if _they_ thought I was a lady!"

"Uncle Cid and Hilda are going to have their hands full soon." Dagger remarked, softly enough that Eiko did not hear.

Fratley poured mead for Freya and himself as Quina joined them. "Food was yummy, yes?" She asked.

The group gave various noises of approval while Fratley said, "Definitely, Quina. Thank you for cooking. I haven't had your splendid cuisine since we were all last in Alexandria."

"I think that is the last time I had it, as well." Steiner agreed. "You know, we're always looking for great royal chefs."

Garnet and Zidane smiled and Quina looked thoughtful. "Perhaps if I stayed in Alexandria, we all see each other more."

"There is always too much time in between." Freya agreed.

"I wish that we saw each other all the time." Eiko said, unusually quietly. "I never want to miss you guys."

The group nodded quietly, and Zidane added, "Even if we miss each other, we know we can be together again. Especially for important things like this. And we'll never forget each other, no matter what happens."

There was a pause, and then, "We are all thinking about Master Vivi."

Freya sipped from her mead, eyes down. Eiko wiped her eyes a bit. Dagger and Zidane smiled sadly.

"He is very missed." Quina said, looking at Steiner.

"That's truer than anything." Zidane said, leaning back in his chair.

Freya was glad to have her friends altogether for the first time since Vivi's death. It was long overdue. They spent the hours talking about their journeys and their memories of Vivi. They talked about the present, their successes and their struggles. They talked about their hopes for the future. By the time there was a possible glow of daylight through the rain, Eiko was asleep in her chair, and Freya knew she would never forget watching the night of her wedding turning to morning with all the people she loved.

Some time later, the newlyweds had settled into their life and a daily routine. Freya returned home one afternoon, having finished her work with the Dragon Knights early, to find a moogle waiting. It had been a while since she had received any mail, and she was simultaneously excited and axious. Was it one of her friends? Was all well? Was it bad news?

"Mail, Kupo!" The moogle smiled at her.

"Thank you." Freya said, accepting the letter. She unfolded it to see that it was from Zidane and Queen Garnet.

 _Freya,_

 _We know that it has been some time since you have heard from us. We hope that everything has been well, and you and Fratley are enjoying married life! While we do not want to inconvenience or worry you, we do request that you visit Alexandria as soon as possible. We will tell you more then!_

"Was this all?" Freya asked the moogle, knowing he had probably read it. She imagined moogles got bored delivering letters and at least checked for some spicy gossip.

"Yes, Kupo. But they also said that if you preferred, they would send an airship, Kupo."

"That won't be necessary," She replied, feeling nervous. "I shall accompany you back to Alexandria. I won't be missed here for a short period of time."

The next day, after the Knights had been notified and she had entrusted Fratley with the safety of Burmecia, she set off with the moogle to Alexandria. After traveling the world, she was not worried about the journey at all; she knew it would be a breeze. However, she was very concerned about the Queen and Zidane. She hoped that the news was happy, but she feared that such an urgent summons could only mean bad news. The journey took several days, and Freya's apprehensiveness did not subside. When she finally arrived at the castle, she introduced herself to the Knights of Pluto at the ferry and was promptly escorted inside with a "We've been expecting you. Please wait here." She waited in the entrance hall, wondering what was going on and dreading the worst. She started when she heard footsteps above, and the unmistakable sound of heels on marble. Garnet and Zidane descended the stairs, looking to be in fantastic health. Freya approached them, feeling her heart lighten. Then, she saw what Garnet was holding.

"We wanted to tell you in person." Garnet said. Zidane said nothing, but grinned from ear to ear. Freya reached her hand forward and gently touched the cheek of the small baby. Suddenly, everything seemed different. Vivi's death had seemed to make everything stop; even the happiness of her wedding had been marred by the sense of loss she couldn't shake. Somehow, looking at this baby, she felt a bit silly. If anything, she was shocked she hadn't realized it before. It was as Fratley had said- Vivi had extreme sorrows but also astounding triumphs in his life. No matter what happened, he moved forward. Freya, as well as the others, had almost forgotten that lesson. It all made sense again, looking at this new life.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Girl." Zidane said as Garnet handed the baby to Freya.

She cradled the baby, mesmerized. "Have you named her?"

The King and Queen exchanged smiles. "What do you think of Vivi?"


End file.
